THE EARLY CLOSING DEPUTATION.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 7

THE EARLY CLOSING DEPUTATION.

Sir,—From your report of the deputa ; tion on enny closing to Mr. Jlaßsey, it seems, that some very admirable points were made by the deputationists, one that struck me as being particularly patriotic on the part of the Prohibitionists being this:—-Mr. Robt. Hall's guarantee to provide the.revenue'which the carrying of prohibition would mean.

The direct revenue in duty and license fees from the liquor business exceeds one million sterling per annum (this does not take into consideration the incomo tax or tlie land tax revenue, nor the ordinary duty paid upon imported commodities connected with the liquor, business; nor does it take into account the expenditure of 11 millions in wages to the community), "so thnt the guarantee for the revenue alone would not cover the total loss to the country if fTie policy of the-'Prohibitionists were adopted.

But, Sir, what does Mr. Hall'a guarantee run to? To use his own phrase—"He would pledge the word of, the commercial and professional members of the community to make good any deficiency in revenue caused by the suggested reform, until such time as the necessary taxation could bo brought down." The pledging of the word of the "commercial and professional members of the community" does not amount to much, coming from Mr. Robert Hall; because Mr. liobt. Hall cannot pledge the commercial and professional community to guarantee the loss of revenue. But if he would obtain the signatures of those members of the commercial and professional community to a guarantee,

legally drawn, which would bind tho commercial and professional men sign-. iug it to pay to the uttermost farthing on their possessions, individually and collectively, one million sterling per annum while prohibition was on its trial (say, lor three years), I do not think that lie would obtain one signature of any professional or commercial man of any standing in New Zealand: The pledge of Mr. Robt. Ha!l had no authority. To pledge the word of the professional and commercial community J? ixl ,6°®d. an J deficiency in revenue that the Prohibitionists might cause, and the readiness,with which lie proposed It, showed palpably that he was only talking words. However, let Mr. Robt. Hall get such a guarantee as I suggc-st, and lie will convince the entire com--munity that the Prohibitionists are willing to make some individual sacrifices themselves to give their peculiar fad a trial. Let us see. then, what Mr. Hall's pledging the word of the commercial and professional community amounts to.—l am, etc.,

A COMMERCIAL MAN. P.S.—I ought to notice that Mr. Hall's proposed guarantee is only to lost'"until such time as the necessary taxation could be brought down." The Prohibitionists' might, state what commodities they would tax to provide tho oVSr ono million sterling Hiey would wish to abolish.—"A.Ot"'